By Daniel Bampoe
The recent uproar over gender-related content found in a Senior High School (SHS) teacher manual has revealed deeper concerns about oversight and agenda-setting within the educational system.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has accused the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) of knowing about the controversial content long before it sparked public outrage, while opposition MPs are raising alarms about alleged government attempts to normalize LGBTQ content in schools.
A Recurring Controversy
The controversy centers on the Year Two Physical Education and Health (Elective) Teacher Manual, which was developed as a guide for teachers implementing the new SHS curriculum introduced the previous academic year.
The manual was printed with public funds and distributed nationwide, only for sections discussing “gender identity” to later trigger national backlash.
Jacob Anaba, President of NAGRAT, told Joy News’ PM Express that the issue was not new.
“If you recall, in 2017, this was put in the curriculum, and we all raised hue and cry about it,” he said.
“The government promised they were removing it in 2019. So one will be very surprised that, if you lived in Ghana at that time, you would even contemplate putting it in any document.”
NaCCA subsequently withdrew the printed copies and issued a revised version, stating that it now reflects national values and a biological understanding of gender.
NAGRAT: “An Attack on Cultural Identity”
Anaba warned that the inclusion of the content could not have been accidental.
He described it as part of a deliberate agenda by actors “who do not want the Ghana we have, or who are bent on destroying the cultural identity of this country.
He explained that teachers were the first to flag the content after discovering it during instruction this academic year.
“This was discovered this year, and teachers raised issues about it,” he said. “It came to our attention, and we wrote to NaCCA indicating our displeasure.”
NAGRAT expressed dissatisfaction with NaCCA’s explanation that the content was already in preparation when the current Director-General assumed office.
“We said that that cannot hold,” Anaba added. “Therefore, we insisted it be expunged from the manual entirely.”
NaCCA Responds And Apologizes
Prof. Samuel Ofori Obuobisah Bekoe, Director-General of NaCCA, has publicly apologized, noting that the manual “escaped the system where attention has been drawn to it.”
He clarified that the content passed through existing review processes and was only flagged after public attention was drawn to it.
Prof. Bekoe stressed that the council is taking “strong measures to ensure that these things do not occur” and that the revised manual aligns with Ghanaian cultural norms.
He also noted that the elective nature of the subject made early detection by teachers more challenging.
Opposition MP Raises Further Alarms
Adding a political dimension to the controversy, John Ntim Fordjour, NPP Member of Parliament for Assin South, accused the NDC government of deliberately introducing LGBTQ content into SHS teaching materials under the guise of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education.
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Ntim Fordjour argued that Teacher Manuals and other Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) under the SRH curriculum include content that subtly promotes LGBTQ identities, which he says conflicts with Ghanaian cultural and moral values.
He called for the immediate recall of all affected materials and a comprehensive review to remove any content promoting LGBTQ concepts.
Linking the issue to broader legislative concerns, Ntim Fordjour highlighted the government’s inaction on the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, officially titled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
He suggested that suppressing the private member’s bill while introducing related content in schools is part of a “diabolical and dangerous agenda” to normalize LGBTQ issues quietly.
Political And Social Implications
The controversy has reignited debates over the balance between comprehensive sexual education and Ghanaian cultural norms.
Critics, including NAGRAT and opposition MPs, argue that the government’s actions threaten the moral and cultural upbringing of students.
The Ministry of Education has yet to issue a formal response to the accusations raised by Fordjour and NAGRAT.
Meanwhile, public attention remains focused on how government agencies will address the concerns over Teacher Manuals and TLMs, with many calling for transparency and accountability.
Next Steps
NaCCA has issued a revised manual and withdrawn the problematic editions from schools. NAGRAT has pledged to monitor the implementation closely, ensuring no content contrary to Ghanaian values is reintroduced.
Opposition MPs have demanded a full investigation into how such content was allowed into official teaching materials despite previous public backlash and assurances that it would not recur.
